* * *
“Maybe it wasn’t fate. Maybe I was just lonely, too. Wishing someone would stay by my side.”
Doyoung laughed softly, watching Sinje’s thumb gently brush over his.
When he glanced up, Sinje raised a brow at him.
That look said, ‘Why would you say that?’
“I’m serious. Back then, I was always alone. So much that I had to convince myself being alone was easier. Sometimes I’d even ride the subway in circles just to avoid going back to a dark, empty home.”
And if the story I enjoyed reading back then had been about you, would you be happy, Sinje?
“I guess we really were meant to meet like this. Both you and I… we were hoping for each other.”
“Is that so.”
It was still a little embarrassing, but Doyoung nodded quietly.
Beom Sinje didn’t bother to point out that the tips of his ears had turned a bit red.
He simply exchanged a glance with his mother, who was watching them with a warm smile.
Seeing how at ease she looked, it felt reassuring—like she would continue to be a reliable support for Doyoung.
“In that case, I’ll start by getting a place ready. Do you have a preferred area or conditions?”
“Hmm… Somewhere not too busy would be nice. A detached house with even a small yard for a flower bed would be ideal, I think.”
Mrs. Jo Wonhee spoke softly of her wishes.
It sounded less like a demand and more like a small dream or a gentle hope.
“But maintaining a house alone might be hard. A villa or an apartment would be just fine too.”
“Let’s go with a detached house.”
They could always hire someone to manage it.
Doyoung had no intention of letting her go through trouble—he spoke quickly, as he always did when it came to taking care of her.
Beom Sinje simply nodded in agreement.
Watching the two of them, Mrs. Jo Wonhee thought again how well they suited each other.
Just as she had hoped, they truly were the right match.
“Are you sure that’s okay?”
“Of course. Please do as you like. We’ll take care of the rest.”
Watching Doyoung’s eyes sparkle as he reassured her, she gave a small nod.
After that, the three of them chatted about lighter topics.
They talked about how they might decorate the house, when she could be discharged, the weather lately, recent guild affairs, and the adventures Doyoung and Beom Sinje had shared over the past year traveling the world.
“Sinje insisted we had to go there, so we ended up going to the ends of the Earth.”
Doyoung sighed as he half-complained.
“Wasn’t the dungeon in Ushuaia already closed?”
“Yeah, it had completely vanished. But he was so stubborn—what else could I do?”
When they arrived in Ushuaia, all they really did was visit the spot where the dungeon used to be, then take a photo at the sign marking “The End of the World.”
Of course, doing it together made it a good memory in its own way.
“See? You can always use something like that as an excuse to travel to the end of the world. Want to see the pictures?”
Doyoung couldn’t say no to the gentle request and opened his photo album.
Inside were countless pictures from all the places they had visited, including Ushuaia.
Most of them were candid shots of Beom Sinje that Doyoung had secretly taken.
And of course, the very first photo that popped up just had to be one of Sinje shirtless, gazing out at the sea—embarrassingly intimate.
Doyoung hesitated just as he was about to hand over his phone.
Beom Sinje looked over curiously.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just…”
Unable to even articulate it properly, Doyoung glanced at Mrs. Jo Wonhee nervously.
Was it really okay to show a mother a photo of her son like that?
“Hold on a second.”
Yeah, no.
This wouldn’t do.
He quickly found a more presentable photo from Ushuaia and enlarged it to fill the screen, thinking that would hide the thumbnails.
“Oh my… It’s a beautiful shot. Wow, was Sinje’s physique always this good?”
But things didn’t go as planned.
She was already familiar with viewing photos and, after closing the popup, discovered the very picture Doyoung had wanted to hide.
“So you took this kind of photo too. Haha… I didn’t know Sinje made expressions like this.”
Watching her delight as she browsed the pictures, Doyoung couldn’t bring himself to ask for his phone back.
He just fidgeted, his fingers twitching in embarrassment.
Beom Sinje, watching him squirm, smiled with his eyes or tugged lightly at the corners of his mouth.
“Can I keep this one?”
After a while, Mrs. Jo Wonhee held up the screen.
It was a photo of the two of them drenched and laughing after fooling around on the southern coast of Italy.
Thanks to Sinje’s rare bright smile, Doyoung looked unusually joyful in it too.
‘But this is kind of… embarrassing…’
Doyoung snuck a glance at Sinje.
His eyes silently asked, ‘Is this okay?’
But unlike Doyoung, who was hesitant, Sinje calmly nodded.
‘Am I the only one bothered?’
They were completely soaked, and their clothes clung transparently.
Not to mention, not long after that photo, the two had shared a deep, unapologetically heated kiss.
And after that…
“Of course. Please take it.”
Doyoung’s thoughts were abruptly cut off by Sinje’s nonchalant answer.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome to take any others you like too.”
“I will.”
It was just a few photos, but Mrs. Jo Wonhee beamed the whole time.
If it made her that happy, then why not?
‘She can see the pictures, but she won’t know what actually happened between us anyway…’
Finally a bit reassured, Doyoung regained his composure.
The three of them continued chatting over the photos, warm and unhurried.
Some of the shots made Doyoung flush with embarrassment, but all in all, it was a peaceful and pleasant morning.
◇◆◇◆◇
The car ride back from their meeting with Mrs. Jo Wonhee was quiet.
A soft melody played in the background, but neither Doyoung nor Beom Sinje tried to make conversation.
Still, their attention was completely on each other.
The sound of gentle breathing, the warmth of a hand holding his, the tender glances exchanged now and then.
Those little things.
“Shall we have dinner nearby before heading home?”
Just as the song that matched the twilight mood ended, Beom Sinje broke the silence.
Right then, Doyoung spotted a familiar building and smiled softly.
“Not going home tonight?”
It was the hotel Sinje had once casually suggested they stop by for a meal—subtle, but clear in its meaning.
“Nope. There’s a great restaurant close by. And a hotel where we can rest comfortably. In the morning, we could take a walk along the riverside trail. How does that sound, hyung?”
Beom Sinje feigned innocence, clearly knowing what Doyoung had just recalled.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Would you say yes if I am?”
“And what you want is just dinner at the restaurant, a night at the hotel, and a morning walk?”
There was no winning against Beom Sinje.
* * *
